Baba Nyonya, a Malaysian meeting of two traditions

The Baba Nyonya community in Malaysia is a vivid example of cultural exchange, with the Wangchuan ceremony a shared intangible cultural heritage of Malaysia and China, said Ronald Gan, president of Persatuan Peranakan Baba Nyonya Malaysia.

Speaking at the Forum on Cultural Heritage Conservation on Thursday, Gan shared the stories of the Baba Nyonya.

In the 15th century, many Chinese immigrants married Malaysians. Their male descendants were called Baba, and their female descendants Nyonya.

Gan has been organizing Wangchuan ceremonies in Melaka, where there is a large population of Baba Nyonya. The ceremony, which originated in South China's Fujian province, is a traditional cultural practice jointly nominated by China and Malaysia for UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage list.

Noting that the Baba Nyonya keep the traditional practices they inherited from Chinese culture, Gan said many of them have integrated with Malaysian elements, resulting in a unique culture.